Photo:Trade and Industry Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman is flanked by Commercial Attaché Charmaine Mignon S. Yalong and Allan Bautista, chairman of the League of Freight Forwarders and and LBC regional senior sales and marketing manager.
DUBAI: More and more locals are beginning to like Philippine food products, particularly fresh and processed tropical fruits, said Trade and Industry Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman.
Macatoman, who recently led a delegation of DTI officials and close to 30 companies in an Outbound Business Matching Mission that went to Saudi Araba, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), likewise said they were in the region to promote Philippine halal products.
“The global halal market is valued at USD 2.6 trillion. Itong halal is the fastest growing industry. Halal ay di lamang for Muslims. Yung mga halal-certified products natin talagang handang handang makipag-compete sa ibang bansa. We are a Muslim-friendly country at may mga halal-compliant hotels and restaurants din tayo,” Macatoman said.
He said the delegation held talks with local distributors like Carrefour and Lulu Supermarkets for them to help facilitate more importation of Philippine products to the GCC.
Asked what he thinks are the Philippines’ best sellers in the Gulf, Macatoman said: “The Philippines being a tropical country has lots of fruits – the fresh and processed ones are very strong here in GCC. Even our snack foods are well accepted in the market,” Macatoman said.
“Of course, isa ring sa pinaka-rason kaya tumataas yung demand for Philippine products dito are the OFWs. Sinasabi na rin ng nga malalaking supermakets dito. yung mga local tinatangkilik nila ang mga Philippine products,” he added.
He said the halal industry in the region is “very promising.”
The trade mission was in Dubai also for this year’s edition of Gulfood, held Feb. 17 to 21 at Dubai World Trade Center. It is one of the world’s biggest business-to-business fairs for the food and hospitality industries, which last year was attended by 98,000 visitors and participated in by 5,000 exhibitors from 198 countries worldwide, organizers said.
The Philippines has 25 exhibitors pitching anything from milkfish in oil to embutido, beverages, rice sticks and noodles, coconut water, snacks and confectioneries, among others.
